To Dodging Bullets
by D.B.R Hazlewoode
Summary: When Danny is kidnapped out of the blue, the Reagan family is left scrambling for answers. His list of enemies is long, and the list of secrets that he keeps is longer. Will they save Danny, or will another Reagan life be lost? M for safety. R&R!
1. All These Lives

_**A/N: This is my first BB fic, so let me know what I did wrong. (I usually do Castle/Criminal Minds/Leverage). I'm not promising regular updates here, because school starts for me soon. But hang in there. Nothing much to say but R&R. Spanks! :{)**_

"_**Posters hung on building walls of missing faces, months go by without the cause, the clues, or traces. It's so wrong, but you'll see, never gonna let you take my world from me."-Daughtry**_

* * *

><p>Danny heard the front door glide open from the kitchen. He set down his knife and spun on his heel to open the fridge.<p>

"Hey babe," he called, "I have to get back out there. Just stopping in for lunch." Linda didn't respond, and Danny figured that she hadn't heard him. He shrugged and shut the fridge door with his hip. And then something made him stop.

"Linda!" he said loudly, striding out of the kitchen, "Didn't you take Sean on his field trip today?" Nothing. The front door stood wide open. Automatically, Danny drew his gun and took a cautious step forward.

"Who's in here?" he shouted, making a quick sweep of the room. Nothing seemed out of place-

"Drop your gun." Detective Reagan sighed when his assailant pressed the cold metal of the gun against the back of his head. Raising his hands above his head, he made a move before he could think it through. The intruder caught him with ease and sent him flying into the opposite wall. His gun was gone. He struggled to grasp for something, _anything_ to defend himself with. His fingers had just closed around a metal picture frame when he received a blow from behind. His mind told him to get back up and fight. His body disagreed. He collapsed at the feet of his attacker. Before everything went black, he murmured one thing.

"Linda..."

* * *

><p>"Damn it, Danny," Linda sighed, hanging up her phone for the sixth time in as many minutes.<p>

"What's wrong mom?" Jack asked, climbing into the front seat of the car. She kissed him on the cheek briefly and studied her phone worriedly.

"Nothing sweetheart. How was your day?" He looked at her for a moment longer before he smiled and launched into an account of the school day. Sean interrupted his brother and showed him what he'd gotten on his field trip to the zoo. Linda tried Danny's cell one last time. It rang all the way to voicemail. She hung up. It was better than going straight to voicemail, right? He was probably just busy. But still...something, some horrible thought continued to bother her.

"Buckle up, boys." She would drop them off at the sitter's. And then she'd go to the precinct.

* * *

><p>Jackie tossed her cell on the desk and leaned back in her chair so far that it was in danger of snapping in half.<p>

"Where the hell are you, Reagan?" she murmured. He was supposed to have met her back in the precinct twenty minutes ago. It just wasn't like him.

"Jackie!" She started so suddenly that she nearly fell out of her chair. Jackie whipped around. Linda stood at her desk, and she scrambled to her feet.

"Mrs. Reagan," she greeted her cautiously.

"Have you heard from Danny at all today? He's not picking up his cell. I figured the two of you were out..." she trailed. Jackie tapped her fingers on the desk.

"So you haven't heard from either? He was supposed to meet me here." She sighed and sat back down, gesturing to Danny's vacated seat across from her.

"When's the last time you heard from him?"

"Two-thirty. You?"

"Not since this morning." Jackie dropped her head in her hands and then got back up again.

"You check your house?" Linda nodded.

"He's not there." Her voice trembled. "Should I call...?" This time Jackie nodded.

"I think you'd better."

* * *

><p>Baker was midway through reciting the remainder of the Commissioner's schedule when his phone rang. As he glanced down at the caller ID, he allowed a mild look of surprise to cross his face.<p>

"That'll be all Baker," he said, signalling for her to leave. She had been halfway through a sentence when she stopped. She registered the look on his face and left at once. He took a breath and answered the call.

"Linda," he said quietly, by way of greeting. She never called unless something was wrong. And Frank had a feeling that he already knew what it was.

"Frank, you know I don't bother you at work, but...I haven't heard from Danny all day, and the last time Jackie talked to him was about two-thirty this afternoon. You...you haven't heard from him, have you?" He stood and strode to the front of his desk.

"No, I haven't," he told her, processing what he was being told, "Have you checked with the capt-"

"Jackie did, and nothing. No one's heard anything. He won't pick up his phone. It just keeps ringing.." Linda was becoming undone. But he understood her concern. It was unlike Danny to just disappear.

"Linda, who else knows about this?"

"Just Jackie and I. And you." He nodded to himself.

"Okay then, let's keep it that way until I can get a handle on what's going on. Where are the boys?"

"With my mother."

"Alright. Why don't you go over there, too? Just to be safe. I'm not sure what's going on yet." But he would find out. Frank was not about to lose another son.

* * *

><p>When Danny Reagan awoke, the first thing that he registered was darkness. His pulse raced for a moment before he realized that he was simply blindfolded, not blind. Taking purposeful breaths, he made a quick mental evaluation. His hands and feet were bound painfully tight, and he lay on his side. The floor was strangely both hard and soft. That, combined with the smell of earth, lead him to believe that he was underground somewhere. His mouth hadn't been duck taped, so he tried his voice. Scratchy, yeah, but still working. He lapsed into silence and smiled grimly. So he was a POW. Again.<p>

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><p><em><strong>AN: So how am I doing so far? Like I said, feel free to correct me. I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this yet. If you have a suggestion, I'll be happy to hear it. Thanks (hopefully) for your reads and reviews!**_


	2. Carry Me

_**A/N: Thanks to everyone who gave a review for the first chapter! I'm happy that I haven't screwed anything up. (So far, anyway.) Fair warning, I had to throw in 'forthwith'. Had to. Forgive me, because I'm still trying to figure everything out. I literally have no game plan right now. But like I said, I adore suggestions. Peace, love, and R&R! Spanks :{)**_

"_**There are those who fail, there are those who fall, there are those who will never win, then there are those who fight for the things they believe. And these are men like you and me."-Chris DeBurgh**_

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><p>Okay. He'd done this before, overseas. Whatever was coming, it couldn't possibly be as bad as-A sudden convulsion shook his body as the icy fingers of painful memories from the past threatened to overtake him. His heart pounded against his chest, straining to get free. <em>No. <em>He wouldn't allow himself to panic. Not this time.

"Come on, Reagan," he coached himself quietly, painfully aware of the echo against the silence, "Pull through. Just keep it together." That was all that he had to do. Just keep it together. Danny was still concentrating on his breathing when he heard a dull thud. He held his breath, instantly hyper aware of every movement and every sound. He heard nothing. And then suddenly he was no longer on the ground. He refused to give his attacker any satisfaction, and he didn't respond. He knew it was fruitless. And he would have to conserve his energy. Then he began moving, and with some detachment he realized that he was being held hostage by not one attacker, but two. He barely flinched when he was slammed onto concrete, though his head bounced painfully.

"Hold him still," the voice was low; gruff. His shoulders were pressed down as the rope from around his wrists was cut away. Danny jerked his hands up, but they were held down again in an instant.

"Dammit," he hissed. His teeth nearly went through his lip when he received another blow from behind; this one a blunt object. He released a slow breath.

"Watch your mouth, asshole." The other man. His voice was as rough as the other's, but different, somehow. Harder. He may not have been in the precinct, but his mind was still functioning like a detective. He tried to put the name with a face. He continued turning up blanks. Why didn't he know who these men were? His arms were yanked above his head with enough force to rip them from their sockets.

"Ah!" The sound escaped his mouth before he could stop it. Both men laughed.

"That hurt?" the first asked, chuckling, "My bad." He pulled Danny's arms back just a little higher. Danny clenched his teeth and tried to ignore the shooting pain.

"What, no smartass comment this time?"

"We ain't good enough for you, Reagan?" Still, he said nothing. And then:

"Guess we'll have to tell those wife and kids that-"

"Fuck you," Danny said lowly, the offhanded comment stirring rage deep within him. They could do whatever the hell they wanted with him, but Linda and the boys were off limits. He would never be able to forgive himself if...He refused to even think it.

"There he is," the second kidnapper laughed, pinching his cheek as an old aunt would to her nephew. Danny tried in vain to bite him.

"Be careful now, Reagan. Don't misbehave. We don't treat prisoners who misbehave real well." His legs were stretched impossibly far from his body, and cuffed. He suddenly knew what it was like to be quartered. He felt as if he was about to fall apart at the seams. But it wasn't over. He heard the fabric first, and then felt a burst of cool air as his shirt was cut away. The same was done to his pants until he was left in his underwear and undershirt. Goosebumps immediately broke out over all of his exposed flesh. He shivered and then cried out when his sudden movement caused the bindings to pull harder.

"You be good now, Reagan. We'll be back later." He was still blindfolded.

* * *

><p>Frank knew that the trip down to the precinct would be a big trouble maker later on, but for the time being, it was necessary. Baker badly wanted to be clued in, but he just couldn't risk it. It took nearly ten minutes just to convince her to wait in the car while he went inside. He found Detective Curatola at her desk, making a phone call. Upon seeing him, she stood so quickly she nearly knocked everything off of her desk. He nodded at the rest of the detectives.<p>

"As you were," he murmured.

"C-Commissioner," she stammered. He gestured to an empty interrogation room and started towards it. She followed behind and closed the door when they had both entered.

"This is about Danny," she said. He nodded before his words seemed to find him.

"Yes," he began, "It is." Jackie took a seat.

"I told Linda everything I know already."

"I understand. Had he been acting strangely before today?" She shook her head.

"No. And there's no chance he's off doing something undercover. He's only kept something from me once, and uh..I know when he's lying," Curatola told him truthfully. There was no reason not to believe her.

"You'll be sure to call if you hear anything." He meant this as a statement, not as a question. Jackie nodded, eyes down.

"Detective Curatola, do you have somewhere safe to stay?" Her head whipped up.

"You don't think-" Frank held up a hand and stopped her there.

"Right now, I don't think anything. Do you have somewhere safe to stay?" he repeated.

"Yeah." The Commissioner stood.

"Good. Go there, and stay there until you hear otherwise from me." He pushed open the door and dialed a number on his cell phone.

"I need two squad cars parked outside of Detective Curatola's residence forthwith. Until you hear differently from me. Thank you." As Frank stepped outside, he made another call of a different sort.

* * *

><p>"Here, you know what, how about you give me this, and then you can go actually do your job?" Erin snapped, grabbing the manila envelope away from some poor pre-law intern. She sighed and sunk into her chair as the door to her office closed behind the frightened youth. She hadn't meant to be so angry, but the day had just been so stressful..Her cell phone rang. Erin considered ignoring it for a moment. It was probably just Danny needing another favor. And she did <em>not<em> have time to deal with him at the moment. But when she saw that it was her father, she picked up right away.

"Dad?"

"Erin, do you have Nicky?" She stood and started toward the door, heart hammering painfully in her chest.

"Why? What happened?" she demanded, pulling open the door and sticking her head in outside. Just then she saw her daughter stroll down the hallway. She gestured frantically for her to hurry up, and then sat back down inside.

"She's right here. Why? What happened dad?" Erin asked again. There was a long pause on the other end of the call. Nicky poked her head in.

"What-" Erin put a finger to her lips and waved her daughter inside. Nicky closed the door behind her and sat down in a chair across from her mother.

"Danny's missing." She put a hand over her heart and closed her eyes.

"He's...what? Are you kidding me?" she whispered.

"Unless you've spoken to him today?" She shook her head in disbelief.

"No, um..no, I haven't talked to him all day. Do you know why-"

"Right now I don't know anything, Erin. But I'd like you and Nicky to come over to my house as soon as we're through on the phone. Linda and the boys will meet you there. I'll send for Jamie." Erin raised her hand to run it through her hair, and then stopped.

"I'll have to get Nicky's clothes, and-"

"I'll arrange for Jamie and officer Renzulli to escort you home, and then to the house. Don't speak to anyone about this. We can't afford the risk." She nodded.

"Right. Okay. Bye dad."

"Goodbye, Erin."


	3. Somehow

_**A/N: Again, thanks for the reads and reviews! I'm slowly getting an idea of who kidnapped Danny, but I'm not sure that I can pull it off yet. We'll just have to see how long they'll keep him hostage...*devious* Let's just see where this chapter takes us. And...I start school tomorrow. Ugh. (Well, not really. Orientation *again*, then school really starts on the 12th.) But enough boring you with my life. R&R! Spanks :{)**_

"_**Did he tie you down? Did you make a sound? She falls to her knees, screaming, 'God please..'"-Drake Bell**_

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><p>Frank was the final Reagan to return home late that afternoon. Nicky was looking after the boys in the living room, though she wanted to be included in the conversation that the adults were having in the dining room. He stopped in to say hello to the kids, pointedly giving Nicky a look when she inquired as to what was going on. He continued to the dining room and took a seat at the head of the table. Everyone fell silent and waited for him to speak. It was, of course, Henry who spoke first.<p>

"Francis, what's this I hear about Danny?" he asked his son, folding his hands. Frank searched for the words before he launched into an explanation.

"Linda called this afternoon and informed me that Danny hadn't returned any of her calls all day. She went home, and to the precinct. Nothing was out of place at home, and Detective Curatola hadn't heard from Danny either. They had plans to meet up at the precinct before going back out on a case. He never showed up. He has not contacted anyone since two-twenty this afternoon. As of right now, he is missing," Frank told them. They waited a moment before anyone said a word.

"Did he go undercover?" Jamie spoke up tentatively. His father shook his head.

"No. I've checked into that already. Right now, I believe it's safest to say that he was abducted anywhere from two-twenty to two-thirty." Linda gasped, and then quickly shoved away from the table.

"I'm sorry, I just.." She ran out.

"I'll go," Erin offered, standing and following the other woman. The men watched them go, and then looked at each other.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with one of your enemies, would it, Francis?" Henry inquired, studying his son. Frank gave a small frown.

"I've been looking into it, but I haven't turned up anything so far. That doesn't mean I won't. Danny's made a few enemies of his own. His methods aren't exactly conventional," he reminded his father.

"What about the case he and Curatola were working on when he..what about that case?" Jamie suggested, struggling to hide his unease. Frank dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

"It was just a missing persons. Detective Curatola turned the case over to another detective after we spoke, and they've found the girl. It's nothing major enough to cause Danny's kidnapping."

"We have to find him," Jamie said quietly.

"We will," Henry and Frank promised.

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><p>Erin found Linda upstairs, in her old room. She looked up suddenly when the other woman walked in, and she sat up.<p>

"I'm sorry, I hope you don't mind, it's just..." She was on the verge of another breakdown. Erin sat beside her and put a supportive arm around her shoulder. Linda laid her head on her shoulder.

"I just don't know...how am I supposed to..to deal with this? I knew the risks, and I was okay with it, because he kept coming back to me alive. But now," her voice broke, "Now..I don't even know if he's alive. And the kids..." She shook her head.

"I know. Nicky's going to want to know why she can't leave the house for a few days. And she's going to wonder where her uncle Danny is. But I don't know what to tell her. I don't even know how to help. I know my brother doesn't exactly play by the rules, and he's made plenty of enemies. We just have to..figure out who..." Erin couldn't finish her thought. Linda rubbed her eyes and sighed.

"I'll talk to Frank first."

"Mom! I'm hungry!" Sean called up the stairs. Erin and Linda climbed to their feet and wiped at their eyes one final time.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>David and Eli climbed up and out, clapping the dirt from their palms. They walked into the house, heavy boots clomping along the hardwood floor.<p>

"Ma, we're back!" Eli called up the stairs. David was already in the kitchen.

"Catch!" Eli caught the bottle his brother sent flying before it could hit the ground.

"Watch it, asshole! I don't feel like cleaning that shit up!" Eli yelled, opening the beer bare handed and tossing the cap away.

"How did it go?" Jennifer asked her sons, descending the stairs. David came back to stand beside his brother. They were the same height, nearly. Close in age, too. 11 months apart. They'd grown up like twins. Rightly so; at twenty seven and twenty eight, they looked identical. Same large build, same gray green eyes, same military crew cut that they'd had for years now.

"Fine. He's outside. Easy to get," Eli said.

"Too easy," David snorted, knocking back half of his beet, "We cleaned it up though." Eli shot his brother a look.

"You mean _I_ cleaned it up. You left a mess in there." David shrugged, and their mother closed her eyes.

"Boys! Focus! Do you have his phone?" Eli dug it out of his pocket and gave it to her. She flipped it over for a minute, and then looked at her sons.

"You did switch it off, right?" David strode back into the kitchen, but his voice carried.

"Took the whole damn thing apart. Eli has the pieces somewhere." She smiled and kissed her eldest son on the cheek.

"You did wonderful. We'll use this later." Pocketing the detective's cell phone, she clapped her hands to herself and started toward the kitchen.

"I was about to start dinner when you two came in." And so the broken family convened in the kitchen.

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><p>Somehow, Danny had found a way to fall into a flighty, dreamless sleep. He awoke without warning, jumping when he opened his eyes and realized that he could not see. And then his whole body screamed out in pain when he remembered that he was still chained to the walls. He began to speak aloud to himself; saying anything to keep his mind working. Otherwise, the seriousness of his condition would hit him, <em>really <em>hit him. Then he would be a goner. He cursed violently, then began reciting stories he'd told a million times from his days as a rookie. Hell, he even sang his ABC's a couple times before he decided that enough was enough. It was unlike him to just take what he had been dealt. Danny Reagan was strong; a fighter. Not someone who just gave up and accepted his fate. When the two goons came back, Danny was going to give them what they deserved. Except...his stomach rumbled. And with a sinking feeling, he realized he had to pee. He tightened his jaw and waited for them to come back. And waited. And waited. And waited.


	4. I Choose Noise

_**A/N: So orientation today..yeah,..Ugh. Can we have summer back please? (But it wasn't that bad. Everyone was awesome, so I think it'll b e a good year!) I think I'm finally on track with this thing. Kinda. Like I keep saying, we'll just have to see. Thanks everyone for your reviews. R&R if you're excited for the new season of BB! Spanks :{)**_

"_**Some say silence is golden, well I choose noise.."-Blake Lewis**_

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><p>"Baker, I'll need a GPS look up on Detective Reagan's cell phone. Yes. And I'll need all of his case files. Ongoing and completed. Later on today is preferable. No, I cannot. Keep this between us, understand? I suppose Baker, but not at the moment. I realize that. Okay. Call me back when you get a general idea. Yes. Goodbye." Frank hung up his phone and studied it for a moment longer before putting it back in his pocket. It was the next morning, and he was waiting for the car to take him to his office. He wanted the rest of his family safe while he worked this thing out. And working things out required him to be at his office.<p>

"Going to work, are you?" Henry inquired, placing a hand on his son's shoulder before he took a seat across from him.

"I have to, pop. How would it look if I stayed home?" Frank asked, laying his hands flat on the dining room table.

"If you go out today, you're going to look like a hypocrite, Francis. Erin is just as pigheaded as you were when you were growing up. She's going to want to get back to her job, too." He sighed.

"There's squad cars parked outside. I already explained that no one is to come in or out until we figure things out." Henry changed tactics.

"You've agreed to a press conference?" Frank nodded slowly.

"Might as well before the press gets a hold of the news and spins it so that it looks like we're covering Danny's disappearance up."

"You don't think that it could be dangerous?"

"No. This is personal. Whether this is an enemy of Danny, or of myself, it's personal. They already have him; they already have what they want. Going to the press can only help." The elder Reagan studied his son. No matter what everyone else saw, he could see right through his facade. He was shaken to the bone. And he couldn't blame him. Both his son and his grandson had many enemies. Very dangerous ones in very high places. Any one of them could have taken Danny. The one thing he did know was that they had to find him sooner than later. Frank stood and pulled on his overcoat.

"The car's here. Don't let anyone leave," he warned his father. Henry waved him off and stood to go make coffee.

"Pop, I'm serious," he repeated.

"I'm old Francis, not deaf. I heard you the first time." He watched his son go.

* * *

><p>The Reagans had breakfast together that morning. Unlike their Sunday dinners, which were noisy and usually ended in conflict, this gathering was somber. The only sound was the scraping of knifes and forks against plates. Finally, Erin spoke.<p>

"Where's dad?" When no one responded, she turned her gaze on Henry. Feeling her eyes on him, he looked up sheepishly from his plate.

"Why the look, sweetheart? I hate being on the wrong end of that look," he said, returning his eyes to his plate. Everyone else stopped eating and were watching the situation unfold with interest.

"Grandpa," she said, using the tone she generally reserved for Nicky, "Tell me. I know you know something." He put down his fork and shrugged.

"He went to work." Erin stopped, and then pushed back from the table.

"He went to-Are you kidding me? I called out and-You know what, I'm going too. This is ridiculous." Nicky turned her face up to her mother.

"What's happening, mom?" Erin looked at the door, at her daughter, and then back at the door again.

"Your grandpa can tell you," she said in exasperation, opening the front door to leave.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Henry warned, just a little too late. Erin jumped back inside and slammed the door shut.

"What?" Jamie asked his sister, halfway out of his seat.

"Why are there squad cars in front of the house?"

"There are?" Jack demanded, just as his brother scrambled out of his seat and ran to get a better look.

"Boys, sit!" Linda said, pointing to their vacated seats.

"But-"

"What did I just say? Now, boys."

"Does anybody want to tell me what the _hell _is going on?" Nicky shouted over all of the commotion. And just like that, the room was silent, save for Henry's quiet laughter.

"That's my great-granddaughter," he said to himself.

"Nicky!" Erin warned, "Hand over the cell phone. A week." But Nicky seemed to have no problem with this punishment. She only wanted to be treated as an equal. For once.

"Did something happen to-"

"Nicky, not now. Be quiet," her mother warned, casting a sideways glance to Linda. She gathered Sean and Jack and ushered them away from the table. But Nicky wasn't finished.

"What happened to Uncle Danny?" she demanded finally. Erin sighed and took a seat next to her daughter. Neither Jamie nor Henry wanted to go about explaining it to her. They weren't quite sure how to explain it to themselves.

"He didn't come home when he was supposed to yesterday," Erin told her simply.

"So he's missing."

"Yes," Henry spoke up, "But he's being searched for." Nicky shook her head, unshed tears shining in her downcast eyes.

"But I don't understand," she murmured, almost to herself, "Who would do this?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Erin said, smoothing her daughter's hair back. No one else knew what to say.

* * *

><p>"Mom, what was Nicky talking about?" Jack asked, sitting down in the living room beside his brother. Linda put her hands over her eyes for a moment in a vain attempt to gather her thoughts and explain the situation to her children. She sat on the ground before them so that they were the same height, and took their hands. She almost didn't want to say it out loud. Speaking it would mean believing and accepting it, and that was something that she didn't believe she was ready to do. Linda would have been content to just let the boys believe their father had gone on a trip, or was working on a difficult case. Then, when Danny did return home, they would never had known that he'd been abducted. But...What if he didn't come back? As much as she hated that thought, it was a real possibility, one that she despised herself for even considering. But this internal debate that she was having didn't matter anyway; she and Danny had had this talk, long before any of this had happened.<p>

_They'd been watching the news. A police officer had gone missing a few days prior, and his body had turned up in a vacant lot in the village. _

_ "Christ," Danny had sworn, lifting the remote to turn the television off. Linda had remained silent. All throughout the report, the only thing she had been able to think was, _'The same thing could happen to Danny. What would I tell the boys?' _He had turned to her and kissed her cheek, seeing the worried expression on her face._

_ "What is it?" he'd asked softly._

_ "What if that happened to you?" she had blurted out, "What would I tell Jack and Sean?" He'd frowned, and then sat back and thought. Finally:_

_ "The truth." Linda had cocked her head to the side and studied her husband._

_ "What are you talking about?"_

_ "Look, Linda, that isn't gonna happen to me," he had explained, gesturing to the blank television screen, "It won't. But if it does, you tell them the truth. I don't want them to think that we don't love them enough to let them know what's going on."_

Linda shook the memory out of her head. Jack and Sean were still waiting for an explanation.

"Okay. The reason that your dad didn't come home last night is...We don't know where he is."

"He went undercover?" Sean asked innocently. Oh how she wished.

"No, sweetheart...He's missing." Jack picked up on it quickly.

"Is grandpa looking for him?" Linda nodded. Sean didn't seem to know exactly what to say. But before anyone could say anything else, Jack burst into tears, and Sean quickly followed suit. She pulled both boys onto her lap and smoothed their hair over gently, whispering all the while that everything would be okay. She just had to believe it herself.


	5. All To Myself

_**A/N: How are you liking the story so far? Hope I'm doing everything correctly and all that. I also noticed that my story awkwardly doesn't really show up when you're looking at BB stories..or maybe it's just me..? Completely forgot about Jackie until ryansdaughter reminded me. Thanks bro! Back to school shopping. _. Great. Oh well, R&R you lovely people! Spanks :{)**_

"_**I'm under the gun, you're like the only one. I just can't decide what I'm running from."-Mariana's Trench**_

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><p>Detective Jackie Curatola snuck into the precinct, which really wasn't that difficult to do. The place was abuzz as usual. Keeping her head down, she wandered over to Danny's desk and pulled open a drawer. When it turned up empty, and tried another one, and ended up with the same result.<p>

"What the hell...?" she whispered, checking under the desk. Nothing. Somehow she'd missed the stack of boxes next to her own desk. Standing, she lifted one, then nearly dropped it on her foot when she heard the voice.

"Excuse me, those are _not_ public property-" And then she stopped. Baker hugged her ever present clipboard to her chest and studied the woman standing across from her.

"Detective Curatola, I presume?" she asked. Jackie put the box down and stuck out her hand.

"Uh, yeah." Baker looked at her hand for a moment before she gave it a polite shake.

"I believe the Commissioner ordered-"

"Two squad cars at my house, yeah," Curatola said, laughing a little to herself, "Ducked out the back." She quieted down when she realized that Baker didn't find it quite as funny as she did.

"So why'd you pack up Danny's desk?" Jackie asked, sticking her hands in her pockets casually. Truth be told, that was the last thing that she wanted to do. Inside, she was loosing it. You don't pack up a detective's desk unless he's fired, transferring...or dead. And she refused to give the latter a second thought.

"I'm not at liberty to say. But the Commissioner will be giving a statement later on this afternoon."

"Not at liberty to say. Right," the detective nodded, thinking to herself that when Danny got back, she'd give him a bigger ass kicking than his wife would. She would have _heard_ if something serious had happened to her partner. She was sure of it. Well, as sure as she could be. Baker's cell phone rang, startling both women.

"I have to take this. Will you be needing a ride home?" Jackie shook her head.

"Uh no. I'll take a taxi. Thanks." She inspected the boxes again before she was inspired and dug out her own case files and reports. They were nearly identical. And if the Commissioner thought that the answer could be found there, then that's where she would start, too. There was no way anyone was going to take her partner down without a fight.

* * *

><p>Frank stood before the reporters, as he had done many times before. He hid his unease well. But as he prepared to speak, he couldn't help but think of Joe. The fear of losing another son was the thing that kept him strong, if that made any sense. He was fueled by an urgency to find Danny before a similar fate befell him. He was given a signal, and began to speak.<p>

"I bring you unfortunate news. Detective Daniel Reagan has been missing in action since two-twenty on October twenty-sixth, 2011 when he failed to join his partner for an ongoing investigation. No contact has been established with the detective since then. We have not yet been contacted by the person or persons responsible for his disappearance," he paused for a breath, and then continued.

"As when this unfortunate circumstance befalls any of us, it in turn affects all of us. The New York Police Department will use any means necessary to bring Detective Reagan back home safely. If anyone has any information whatsoever pertaining to his disappearance, I advise them to contact the police department." The press, which had been silent just moments before, suddenly exploded into the media frenzy with which he was intimately familiar.

"Commissioner, are you pulling out all the stops simply because Detective Reagan is your-"

"Commissioner, do you have any idea who could be resp-"

"Do you have any leads at the moment-"

"What measures are you taking to keep-"

"Commissioner, do you believe anyone else may be in danger?" This question happened to come from a certain blond someone. Frank formulated his answer for a moment before he looked her straight in the eye.

"At the moment, we cannot rule anyone out. Those close to Detective Reagan are being protected properly."

"Well, it's been reported that Erin Reagan-Boyle and Jamie Reagan have not called into work this morning. Assuming they are safe at home, do you plan on extending this special treatment onto anyone connected with the disappearance of Detective Reagan?" She gave a knowing smile. Frank looked down, and then back at the reporter.

"They will be returning to work as soon as it's safe for them to do so." He nodded, and then stepped away from the podium.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Sleep had not come easily, but at long last it had taken Danny up in it's soft embrace. But when he awoke, he decided that it might have been better if he had never slept at all. He was painfully aware of every single need his body was experiencing. Though he hadn't lost it all, he still wasn't as strong as he had once been, and his arms and legs seemed to hint that they might decide to give out sometime in the near future. The rumbling in his stomach had turned into a dull aching pain, and he found that sometime during his sleep, he'd wet himself. The feeling was bad, but the humiliation was worse. Of course, he'd been through it all before. It was only a matter of when it would escalate. Because it would. If anything, he could bet his life on that.<p>

"Know what time it is, Reagan?" So they'd returned. He clenched his jaw and refused to give an answer.

"Suit yoursel-"

"Bro, look at this! Baby Reagan had an accident!" he taunted. Danny waited patiently for one of them to move closer.

"Well, would you look at that. Baby Reagan wet himself!"

"Go to hell," he told them harshly. They laughed in unison, and Danny deduced that they were siblings. There. At last, he had something. Something completely irrelevant, yes, but something nonetheless.

"Oh, we've been to hell. Made it back alive, too. How about you?" This was followed by a kick that Danny didn't process. His mind was too busy working in overdrive. What had they meant, they'd been to hell and back? They couldn't have meant...If what he was thinking was true, than why didn't he know who these men were? At long last, he knew why he had been taken. This grudge, this vendetta...whatever it was, it was personal. It was because of something he had done. And most likely, he'd done it while he'd served. That was one dark recess of his mind that he had no desire to explore. Not ever.

David was angered with the lack of response they were receiving from their hostage. After all of the stories Emmanuel had told them, he'd expected something completely different from what was in front of them right now. Frustrated, he turned his back and stalked away. Eli looked over his shoulder and saw that his brother was no longer by his side. He stopped taunting Danny and followed him.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the house. This shit's no fun. We can't provoke him, which means I can't do anything I want to do. So I'm going back to the house," David explained gruffly. Eli looked back at the detective.

"Come on, ma says we have to do this. And you gotta help me," Eli told his brother. In all truth, the only reason why he wanted him to come along was because he had no problem doing the heavy lifting-and beating. David turned back around and crossed his arms.

"What are we gonna do?" Eli thought a moment, and then spoke. He watched a slow smile spread across his brother's face.

"Why didn't you just say that before? Let's go!"


	6. Scream

_**A/N: How's school for everyone who's been back by now? Strangely, I'm really excited. This year seems easier than last year. We'll see. Hooked on the story yet? Hopefully I'm doing my job haha. Anyone with any theories about why Danny was kidnapped? I'd love to hear them! R&R and Spanks ;{)**_

"_**Watch out, stay awake, they're lurkin', obsess you, they are always workin'...**__**Promisin', everything you never asked for, and one day it'll be too late and you beg for more...Scream, 'til you feel it! Scream, 'til you believe it! Scream, and when it hurts you, scream it out loud."-Tokio Hotel**_

* * *

><p>The boxes had beaten Frank Reagan home. His father was pouring over them when he walked in the front door. Henry didn't bother to look up; instead, he just handed his son two heavy yellow folders and gestured for him to get working. He stood there, papers in hand for a moment before he moved.<p>

"I saw the press conference." There would be more. He just had to wait. But much to his surprise, it came quicker than he thought. And it hit closer to home as well.

"You were thinking about Joe." Frank didn't deny it.

"I was," he agreed, removing his jacket and laying it on the back of his chair. Henry finally put the folder down stood, going to the fridge and withdrawing two bottles of beer. Frank accepted his gratefully and opened his folder.

"You have to realize that Danny isn't Joe," his father told him. Frank flipped through a few pages and then sighed.

"I know he isn't, pop. But don't I have a right to be concerned for his life?" Henry wagged his finger at his son.

"I didn't say you weren't concerned, Francis. About half of these are completely useless," he said, changing the topic, "Petty crimes. Nothing big time." Wearily, Frank eyed the other five boxes that they had yet to get through.

"Where's everyone?" His father gestured to the family room.

"They were watching the press conference earlier. Erin's on the phone now, Nicky's on the computer, Jamie is watching the news, and Linda and the boys are upstairs."

"You didn't let anyone leave, did you?" Henry laughed.

"The officers outside were a force to be reckoned with."

* * *

><p>Hours had gone by without a call from the Commissioner, so Jackie figured that she was in the clear. She'd spent the day pouring over her old case files and googling the cases Danny had completed before they'd become partners. And as of the moment, she only had one or two strong leads. The rest were small time offenses. But then..he had made quite a few people angry. His interrogation methods weren't protocol. A few people they'd helped to put away might have gotten back out by now. From memory (and a little help from Google), she composed a list of people Danny had roughed up to get answers. And then she began making calls and taking notes. About an two and a half hours later, she had a substantially smaller list and a few pages of information. Standing and stretching for the first time in hours, Jackie strode to the window and peaked outside. A third patrol car had joined the first two, and she was almost certain that there was at least one more parked in back. She cursed and flopped down onto the couch. She'd follow up on whatever leads she had...tomorrow. Right now, all she wanted to do was sleep.<p>

Later on that afternoon, Frank received a call from the mayor.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Commissioner," he greeted him.<p>

"Mr. Mayor," Frank replied. Formalities aside, he knew why he was in the middle of this conversation.

"Frank, I'm sorry about your son. But we'll find him," the mayor began. Frank nodded, knowing exactly where this is going.

"I'm sure you've been conducting your own investigation. Am I correct?"

"Yes, sir." Here we go. As much as I'd like to allow you to continue-

"I'd love to allow you to continue on that way, but this is still a missing persons case. That means that it must be treated like one. It needs to be properly investigated." Commissioner Reagan smiled when the mayor spoke these words. His assumption had been correct. He wanted him to turn the case over.

"You'd like for another detective to work on this case, correct?"

"Correct."

"In that case, I believe detective Curatola is best suited for the investigation. She was the closest to Danny besides his family."

"Of course, of course. And speaking of family, Frank..I know they're you're children, but-"

"You want them to return to work. I understand. I no longer have reason to believe that they are in any immediate danger. They will return to work tomorrow morning as usual."

"Thank you, Frank."

"You're welcome."

* * *

><p>They disconnected. Frank drummed his fingers on the table top and thought. If any of his other children were in danger, whoever had taken Danny would have taken them as well. He was the one that they wanted, and now they they had him, all that they could do was wait. There was about a day or two left before serious concern would kick in. The amount of time that it took the kidnappers to call or leave a ransom note gave the police a semi-accurate description of the criminals. <em>Unless...<em>

Unless the entire thing wasn't a kidnapping after all, as they had originally thought. Any idea of Danny running away had been pushed far back into his mind. He was too responsible to leave everything he cared about behind. Once he'd met Linda and had the kids, he had never looked back. There would have been no reason for him to just pick up and leave. And if it wasn't a kidnapping, and he hadn't taken off...Well, then, it had to be a suicide, an accident...or a murder. Suicide was the first Frank was about to cross off of his list. His son was stronger than the temptation to end it all. He knew that he was. But that didn't mean that Danny didn't sometimes fall victim to the depression that seemed to go hand in hand with the job. He couldn't rule this out, but he didn't exactly want to consider it, either. This would go last.

As for the possibility of an accident...well, accidents happen to everyone. But now that the news about Danny was open to the public, if he had indeed fallen victim to an accident, he would receive news soon enough. And murder...There was nothing to say about that alternative. If it had been a random act of violence, just as before, he would receive news. But even as Frank gave every one of these scenarios thought, he knew that none of them were correct. He sighed and sat back down at the head of the table. It seemed to be so much bigger now that he sat alone. There was no commotion, no passing dishes around the table, no arguing. Just...silence.

"Hey," Linda said quietly, leaning against the door jam. Frank stood and waved a hand to the chair closest to him.

"Hey," he replied, once they had both taken a seat. Linda folded her hands on the table and studied them before she spoke.

"Did you..have you...heard anything about...Is Danny alive?" she finally blurted out. The pause he took before he answered seemed like forever.

"I don't know," he admitted truthfully, "That's what I want to believe. But I have to be objective and consider every option. We should have a better idea soon. Now that the news of Danny's disappearance has been shown on tv, we should be able to weed out the useless tips from the good ones and figure something out." Linda twisted her wedding ring on her finger and said nothing. Her face, however, said it all.

"You don't believe I'm doing everything I can." Linda buried her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry. I know he's your son just as much as he's my husband...but..I can't do this," she sobbed quietly, "I don't know how. And Jack and Sean...I told them the truth, and every time I see their faces I wish to God I hadn't. They can't handle this..Hell, _I _can't handle this..What if he doesn't come back alive?" Frank took hold of her hand.

"We will." And that was a promise.

* * *

><p>David and Eli were midway through having their fun with Danny. At the last moment, Eli had had some compassion on the man, and had changed him. But then he had turned him over to his brother, and David had truly done his worst. Eli had unchained him, and Reagan had collapsed onto the floor like a wet bag of sand. Re-tying his wrists, he'd tightened his blindfold. David had kicked him while his brother worked to pick him up and drag him back to where they'd first kept him. Eli dodged the kicks and punches the detective threw at him with ease, and had slapped him a couple of times to keep him in line. But when he hadn't wanted to settle down, he had let David at him, full force. Smiling thinly, he had grabbed a broom and twirled it before bringing it down on Danny's back, the blow laying him face down on the floor. And he'd gone after the man until the broom had broken, and he no longer moved.<p>

"Shit! You didn't kill him, did you?" Eli demanded, kneeling on the floor beside him. David kicked around whatever was left of the broom and shrugged.

"Dunno. It was only a broom, Eli, don't go apeshit on me," he snapped. With some relief, Eli noted that he was still breathing, albeit shallowly. It wasn't as if he was concerned with the man's welfare; he was more concerned as to what would happen to them if they killed him before their mother was ready to exact her revenge.

"I think you just knocked him out. Here, help me drag him." The brothers dumped Danny's body into the cage. He just managed to fit, and perhaps that was because he was laying down rather than sitting. He would be in for some surprise when he awoke. David was studying the cage with a look that told his brother that he wasn't done just yet.

"Come on, we have to go set up that thing with the GPS," Eli reminded him. David waved him ahead.

"Yeah, yeah, just give me a minute. I'll be up." When he was alone, he watched their prisoner for a moment. And then, with a devilish smile, he dug around in his pocket and reached for the key. With a laugh, he dropped it onto the floor, just within reach of the cage. Eli had tied his hands up in front this time, rather than behind. It would prove to be an interesting challenge. Spitting, David strolled out in the direction his brother had gone moments earlier.


	7. Believe

_**A/N: Counting the days until my shows start coming back on TV! In this chapter, we finally see some Jamie. Completely forgot about him too haha. I have tests coming up soon...already. Seriously, summer, you can come back anytime you want to. Thanks to everyone who's reading. Thanks for being awesome! R&R and Spanks ;{) (And take a moment and remember today.)**_

"_**Your childhood eyes were so intense while bartering your innocence for bits of string. The grown-up wings you needed..But when you had to add them up, you found that they were not enough to get you in and pay for sins repeated...And for all the years you borrowed, and for all the tears you hide, and for all the fears you had to keep inside.."-Trans Siberian Orchestra**_

* * *

><p>Dressed in an old pair of sweats, a heavy jacket, gloves, and a hat, Detective Jackie Curatola slowly made her escape. The apartment had a fire escape on the side of the building that she could access from her own by way of a quick jump. Breathing a sigh of relief when she stuck the landing, Jackie dismounted the fire escape backwards until her feet touched the ground. She turned-and walked straight into Frank Reagan.<p>

"C-ommissioner," she said nervously, obviously caught. He took a step back, and Jackie could see the black car idling behind him.

"You, uh, heard about my great escape yesterday, huh?" When his eyebrows raised just a fraction of an inch in surprise, Curatola knew that she'd just turned herself in. She looked down at the ground.

"Alright, maybe not. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Danny told me that you don't take no for an answer. That's why I'm here. The mayor wants a formal investigation, and I'd like for you to take point." She stood silent for a moment.

"You want me to take point?" He nodded.

"If you would accept the case."

"Yeah, of course! I just have to go back to the precinct and-"

"Everything you'll need is in the car. I have to return it to the precinct." He gestured to the black car, "Are you ready?" Jackie felt for the notes in her pocket, and then started towards to the car.

"Sure."

* * *

><p>When Jamie returned that day, he found himself working the shortest shift he was sure he would ever see in his life.<p>

"Are you kidding me?" he wondered aloud. Renzulli walked past and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey kid, stop standing there with your mouth open. It's not a naked lady, it's a piece of paper. Let's get going." Jamie half turned and pointed.

"Why am I only working three hours this morning?" Anthony shrugged in a way that told him that he did in fact know.

"This has to do with Danny," he said suddenly. Renzulli stood around a moment longer. Then:

"I'll be in the car. Don't keep me waiting."

* * *

><p>Throughout the entire patrol, Jamie was silent and withdrawn. Renzulli had given up trying to talk to the kid. There was really nothing that he could say to make him feel better. Hell, he didn't know what it felt like to lose a brother and feel like you're on the verge of losing another. But he did recognize the series of looks that constantly flashed across the rookie's face. He was scared, then embarrassed for feeling that way, then angry at whoever had done it, and then sullen. The patrol was over before it had even started. Renzulli had to go back out, so he dropped Jamie off. But before he drove off, he rolled down the window.<p>

"Hey kid," he called, "Your dad's gonna find him. And your brother's gonna survive. He's a Reagan."

* * *

><p>Once Frank had given everyone the okay to get back to their normal lives, Linda had dropped the boys off at school. She wasn't sure if it would be the best thing for them, but she felt as if it was better than having them sit around the house and worry about their father. At least now they would be somewhat distracted. Still, she didn't expect them to last the whole day. So this time, instead of going straight back to Frank's house, she drove back to her own. Just to wash clothes and..and to see if she could bear living there again until Danny came back to her. But even as she opened the front door, she knew that she could not do it. She had opened the door to the empty house before, with the boys off at school and Danny off at work. But this time it was different. This time, Danny would not come back after work to kiss her on the cheek and share lasses of wine. This time, the boys would not come barreling in through the door, yelling about the day they'd had. No, this time, it was just Linda. Her footsteps seemed to echo.<p>

"Danny?" she called out suddenly. It was stupid to think that he would answer, but she did it anyway. After all, she had nothing to lose. She made the slow walk to the laundry room in silence and began loading the washer. She'd just set the timer when her phone rang, startling her half out of her mind. It was Frank. In last few days, she'd had more calls from him than she had in the space of five months. They didn't speak on the phone unless something important had happened. Had they found Danny? Was he alive or dead? What if...Hands shaking, she picked up.

"H-Hello?"

"Linda, the official investigation's been started. Jackie's taken lead on the case, and she'd like to speak to you. Can you do that?" She nodded to herself before she realized that she couldn't be seen from over the phone and spoke instead.

"Yeah...I can do that. Now?"

"That would be preferable. Thank you."

"Sure." They disconnected, and Linda drummed her fingers atop the washing machine to keep her composure. It was suddenly so real. The investigation...She wasn't sure what she could say to help, exactly. She'd told Jackie everything when she'd come to see her that day. And Danny didn't have anything...Her mind went to the box that he'd kept in their room for as long as she could remember. She didn't have the key, so she had no idea what was in it, but she was sure that Jackie could find someone to open it. She hesitated at the door to their bedroom before she finally just pushed it open and stepped inside. She'd made the bed after Danny had left early that morning. Moving quickly as to not forget what she'd come into the room for, Linda dug out the box and gently turned it over. She'd always wondered what was inside of it, but she'd never asked. There were some things that Danny kept private, and she didn't like to pry. If it was horrible enough that he kept it from her, then she didn't need to know. Her cell phone rang again, and she sighed.

"Hello?" It was Jack's school. He'd turned up in the nurse's office, complaining of a headache. She'd have to go pick him up...She thought it wise to just swing around and get Sean, too. But she had to go to the precinct..

"Damn it," she murmured, standing and walking out of the room, box forgotten. She'd have to drop them back off at Frank's house and have Henry watch them until she returned from speaking with Jackie. She grabbed her keys and got back into her car, locking the door behind her.

* * *

><p>Jamie returned to his apartment and tossed his keys onto the couch. He changed, and then he moved to the kitchen area, lugging out his laptop. As he powered it up, he thought. And thought. And thought. He'd heard his father say that this attack on Danny was something personal. He knew that his father would be digging into all of the cases that Danny had handled in recent years, but what about further back? Just to start, Jamie googled his brother's name. The usual came up, news articles about cases he'd solved, awards he'd gotten; even a few wayward posts about his party days. And, of course, the one or two articles that popped up about his days as a marine. It wasn't plausible that something from them would come back to haunt his brother now, but it was worth a try. He'd just raised his hand to click the link when his cell phone rang. It was Sydney.<p> 


	8. Revenge

_**A/N: Tell me how I got a cold? It's ridiculous haha. Anyway, I hope everyone likes the story. I hope it's picking up a little. We're gonna see a sudden reappearance(in the next chapter or two, perhaps), a frightening discovery, and a little more of Danny. R&R and stay lovely! Spanks :{)**_

"_**By now you should know everything you say can and will be used against you some day..I don't even care 'cause I got my revenge.."-The Plain White T's**_

* * *

><p>"Hi Jamie," she said delicately. He shoved the laptop from his lap and stood, pacing the floor.<p>

"What happened?" he asked, tucking his hand into his pocket. He hadn't thought of her..hadn't spoken to her...

"I..I heard about Danny. I'm sorry," she told him. Jamie sat back down on the edge of the couch.

"He's not dead yet. Not like..." he trailed. Sydney sighed.

"Don't go there, Jamie. He's gonna be okay. You know it."

"Do I?" he said, so quietly that it was barely heard over the phone. For a long moment, no one spoke.

"Do you need me there?" All of his emotions rushed to meet him, then. Joy at the thought of his ex-fiancee coming back to see him again. Sadness that they had to meet under these circumstances. Anger and pain as he relived the day she had broken off their engagement. Confusion as he thought of what he should do. Jamie had taken so long to reply that Sydney thought that he'd hung up.

"Jamie?"

"...No." He hung up and put the cell phone down on the table. He watched it, waiting for it to ring again. It didn't.

* * *

><p>After what had seemed like hours, Linda had finally made it to the precinct and into an interrogation room with Detective Curatola. Jackie had offered her a cup of coffee, and then they had begun. Now, they were nearly finished.<p>

"Can you think of any instances where someone has threatened Danny or your family?" Linda shook her head.

"Not to our faces. If anyone's said anything to Danny, he hadn't told me about it." Jackie made a few notes and then turned her face to the wall for a moment. The pause went on longer than she had intended it to, and she apologized.

"I'm sorry. It's...It's really freakin' weird, asking these questions about Danny. We ask them all the time anyway, but I mean...it's my partner, you know?" Linda nodded and released a shaky sigh.

"Oh, I know. Trust me, I know." Jackie drummed her pen on the desk top.

"I only have to ask a few more questions, and then I guess we're done. Would anyone from Danny's past as a-" Her cell phone rang. She almost didn't answer, but at the last moment she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Detective Curatola? The Commissioner had me tack the GPS on Detective Reagan's

cell phone. The signal's been dead until five minutes ago. Right now the location is stable, and I have an address for you," Jackie scrambled to write down what he'd said.

"I already called the Commissioner. He'll probably meet you there." She hadn't meant to slam the phone down and hang up without saying anything, but she couldn't help it. Finally, they had something of a lead. The tips had come pouring in, but every single one of them had been worthless. Linda recognized the look on her face and half stood when Jackie did too.

"What? You have something, don't you? Don't you dare lie to me. I'm coming with you, and the only way you're gonna stop me is handcuffing me to this chair." Detective Curatola seriously considered the option for a moment before she sighed and gestured for Linda to follow.

"But stay in the car," she warned, knowing that it hadn't worked the last time with Danny and Nicky, and it sure as hell wouldn't work this time. But there were more important things to worry about.

* * *

><p>David and Eli were already long gone by the time they heard the sirens, presumably speeding towards the lot where they'd dumped Danny's bloody clothes and his cell phone. Though he barely showed it, David's heart was pumping with adrenaline. It was such a rush to know that they could toy with someone as big as the Commissioner. It felt even better to know that they were getting the revenge they'd always wanted. The entire drive home, Eli had whooped and hollered, obnoxious and over-excited as usual. Sometimes it was hard to see how the two of them were brothers. Their mother called David's cell as he drove.<p>

"Shut up. It's ma." He put her on speakerphone.

"Boys," she said slowly, waiting on the results.

"Just like you said. Cops were on the way in like two seconds! It was crazy, ma!" Eli told

her, grinning like a kid on Christmas.

"Good," she said warmly, obviously proud of her boys. It made them smile.

"Now get back so you can finish up here."

* * *

><p>Frank's car was the first one on the scene. At least three patrol cars followed close behind. He steadied himself for a moment before he opened the door to the car and stepped out, immediately flanked on either side. Detective Curatola was close behind almost instantly. He could see Linda getting out of another car.<p>

"Harrison, I want you to stay with that woman. Don't let her out of your sight. Keep her in the patrol car," he told the first rookie he laid eyes on, gesturing to his daughter in law. The boy nodded and was off. He knew how hard it would be for Linda to be so close, and to not be able to see anything. But it was harder for Frank. He'd have to see it all. He stopped in front of a black garbage bag and studied it silently, carefully keeping his emotions in check. Jackie stepped around him and got on her knees, pulling on a pair of gloves. She only hesitated a moment before she ripped open the bag. Detective Curatola rummaged around before she pulled out a tattered shirt and a torn up pair of pants. Both were spattered with blood. Everyone already knew who's blood it was. Frank recognized the clothes as the ones Danny had been wearing earlier that day. These were his son's clothes. Soaked with his son's blood. Jackie transferred the clothes into an evidence bag and continued to inspect the bag.

"Here's the phone-" she began, and then stopped. And sat back. And held her breath.

* * *

><p>Jackie struggled to breathe after uncovering the phone. It was on, of course. That's how they'd gotten the GPS signal in the first place. She'd expected that. But she hadn't been expecting the image on the screen. She couldn't believe that that was her partner. His eyes were black and blue and nearly swollen shut. His lip was busted and his face was terribly bruised, dried blood caked all over. At last, she allowed herself one shuddering breath. Then, with growing horror, she realized that it wasn't a picture; it was a video. She fought herself before she gave in and pressed play. It had been remotely quiet before, but as everyone caught wind of the sounds coming from the phone, the silence became more pronounced. The only thing she heard was the audio from the video.<p>

"Oh," she whispered, wanting to look away. But she couldn't. It showed Danny, clad only in a pair of boxers and an undershirt, being beaten by a bat. Whoever was doing the beating wisely stayed out of frame. But he was enjoying himself. Anyone could tell that. She watched until Danny's screams were too painful for her. But she heard the words before the video ended. They all did.

"Say goodbye."


	9. The Memory

_**A/N: Urg. So my home computer crashed the other day, and I'm trying to fix it. It's on a reboot loop that makes me want to throw it out of the window. Thank GOD the laptop works. I've fixed it before, so let's see if I can get some kind of lucky this time..In the next chapter or two, a special someone returns! I know I lied when I said I'd include Danny in the last one. I forgot..but here he is! R&R and stay beautiful! Spanks :{)**_

"_**This is the memory, this is the curse of having too much time to think about it. It's killing me, this is the last time, this is my forgiveness..this is endless..."-Mayday Parade**_

* * *

><p>Danny woke up, feeling like every single nerve in his body was on fire. He felt as if every bone in his body was broken, too. Some of them probably were. Gently, he made the move to sit up, but found that his back gave out on him. He thudded to the ground again.<p>

"Son of a bitch," he moaned, trying again. He lifted his hands, and-His hands. They were no longer bound. With great difficulty, he found that his feet were no longer bound, either. But they wouldn't have just untied him and left him to escape. With the closest thing to joy he'd experienced since he'd been taken hostage, he realized that he could now remove his blindfold. Just raising his hands above shoulder height took his breath away, so he did it quickly and ripped it off. There was barely any light, but it still hurt his eyes. They felt swollen, and they were puffy to the touch. He must have looked like a monster. And then he saw the cage.

Tentatively, still in pain, Danny reached out and brushed one of the metal bars with his hand. He was in a cage. One that he barely fit in. If he'd been successful in attempting to sit up, it wouldn't have matter anyway. There wasn't enough room for him to do much anything. His stomach growled, distracting him. Danny couldn't recall the last time he'd eaten anything. His stomach folded in on itself. He hadn't been this hungry since...Since then. But he'd survived it. Just like he would survive this. He caught the tiniest flicker of light. Eagerly, his eyes found it. The key.

* * *

><p>Linda had given up trying to fight the officer that was keeping her in the squad car. Instead, she had taken up pounding on the windows and shouting at Frank, Jackie, anyone who would let her out of the car. It was impossible for her to just sit while everything seemed to rush on without her. She saw a crime scene tech carry a clear evidence bag past the car. She saw the clothes in them and knew that they were Danny's. She saw the blood spattered on them and screamed. She gave up and just crumpled in the backseat. They'd found his clothes. She didn't know exactly what that meant, but she knew that it couldn't have been good. Not at all. She was just so <em>worried. <em>Linda lost track of time. She jumped when the door to the patrol car opened. Frank slid in beside her and closed the door behind him.

"What happened? What did you find? Is he okay?" She attacked him with questions. Buying time, Frank took her hand in both of his.

"We found his clothes and his cell phone. The clothes were stained with blood. We won't know for sure until they're tested at the lab, but it's believed to be Danny's blood. The cell phone's been wiped clean, except for a few partials, but those belong to Danny," he explained bluntly. He knew that she would want him to tell her everything they had found out. And he would. Everything except the video. She didn't need to see that.

* * *

><p>Jackie had surrendered the cell phone and the remnants of the black garbage bag. She'd had to keep shaking herself to go on while supervising and questioning anyone who had been in the area during the previous forty minutes or so. The majority couldn't recall a thing, but one or two vaguely remembered a black car. Praying to God that she'd get lucky, she discovered an ATM and an electronics store close enough nearby that their cameras might have picked up a license plate. She placed her hand on another detective's shoulder-A Detective Shaun Winston. He would be working closely with her during the investigation.<p>

"I need you to see if you can pull the footage from that ATM and see if the store over there is willing to hand over their security tapes. If you're feeling lucky, check the red light cams and see if they ran any red lights hauling ass outta here," she instructed. Shaun nodded and was off. Curatola sighed and put her hands on her hips, scanning the area. If Danny were there, she wouldn't have even had to explain what she wanted done. One of them would already be on it, and the two of them would be back to arguing over coffee in no time. Only this time, her partner wasn't by her side, working this case like the other half of her brain. This was because Danny _was_ this case. That was why she had to crack it. And fast. A hand touched her shoulder, and she whipped around, heart racing.

"I'm sorry," Frank apologized, seeing that he'd frightened her. Jackie waved her hand.

"No problem."

"You'll keep me updated?" She nodded rapidly.

"Yes, sir."

"Good luck," he said, and then he was gone.

"Thank you," Baker finished, hanging up. The Commissioner sat down in the car, and the driver began to take them back to the office.

"Commissioner, I have a press..." she trailed, suddenly catching sight of his face in the mirror. She stopped and looked down for a moment. She'd had her fair share of seeing the Commissioner somewhat worried, but never anything like this. It was as if he had aged ten years in the hour that they had been at the scene. But that was expected, she guessed. She didn't have any children of her own, but she was sure that if she had, she'd be just as concerned as he was now. It had shaken her to hear the news. If the police Commissioner's son could be kidnapped, then how was anyone who worked with him safe? But as days had gone by without another attack, she had begun to relax. But only slightly. After the assassination attempt several months ago, she was always concerned that if she even left the Commissioner for a moment, something like that could happen again. And it would be her fault. Again. She wouldn't have that.

"I'll re-schedule," she announced, picking up her cell phone again. If she hadn't looked up, she was sure that she would have missed the momentary relief on his face.

* * *

><p>Danny had no concept of time. There was no light to judge by, no sounds, no anything. Just silence. Silence and dimness. In all of this, he was grateful that it wasn't pitch black this time. He could faintly make out shapes in the darkness. He had no idea what time it was, but he knew that he'd been working to get the key for at least a half hour. It had felt like a half hour, anyway. The closer he got, the further away the key seemed to go. It didn't help that he felt as if he were going to pass out any second from the pain and hunger. But Danny Reagan did not give up. Because Reagans didn't quit. It wasn't in their blood. Finally, his index finger crossed the gap. He flung it back in a single motion, and then reached again. This time his hand easily closed around the key until it bit into his palm. He didn't care. He'd found his way out.<p>

* * *

><p>Finding the lock was the easy part. It was right next to his head. He could reach out and touch it with minimal pain. As he held the key, a thought flashed by in his mind, so quickly that he had almost missed it. Wasn't this all just a little too easy? They had just <em>happened<em> to leave the key right in front of him? The lock had just so _happened _to be so easy to reach? This could be a setup. But he shook the thought from his head. Even if it was a setup, what was the worst that could happen? He wouldn't be able to get out? Grunting, Danny forced the key to fit into the lock. When it didn't fit, he figured that he had put it in wrong the first time and tried again, this time in a different direction. He pushed at the bars. Nothing.

"No," he murmured, trying again, "No. Don't do this to me. No. Come on," he pleaded, bowing his head in sadness when he realized that it wouldn't work. They had left the key on purpose. He'd been set up.

"Damn it!" he screamed. He didn't care who heard him. He was alone, anyway. It had been stupid of him to think that he could actually escape. But he wasn't about to give up. No, he'd find a way out. He would escape.


	10. Night Castle

_**A/N: Can BB come back on TV now? And Castle and NCIS: LA and every other show I watch? Hope everyone's doing well and enjoying the story. R&R you wonderful people! Spanks :{)**_

"_**I have been this way before, check each window, every door for a passage through this night..this night...But each hallway ends the same, every door's been checked in vain for a way to reach that light..that light.."-Trans Siberian Orchestra**_

* * *

><p>Linda and Frank arrived home together. She went to go find her sons, and he went to the kitchen and took a beer from the fridge. Frank took a seat and passed the bottle from hand to hand, head bowed.<p>

"What am I going to do?" he asked his wife, raising his eyes to the ceiling. He hadn't expected an answer, and he didn't receive one. His father did walk into the kitchen, though.

"They're talking about Danny's case in there," he informed his son, hiking a thumb back in the direction of the living room, "You found something today?" He put the beer on the table, unopened, and sat up straighter.

"The GPS on Danny's phone was turned on today. It lead us to a vacant lot where we found a black garbage bag. We found the clothes that he was wearing and his cell phone. There was a video on it." He didn't have to explain it; his father already seemed to know.

"How bad was it?" Frank sighed.

"I don't know what he saw over there, but I always had a feeling that he was kept as a POW. The torture...it's similar."

"Well, do you think the captors are ex-military?" He shook his head.

"They're smart, I'll give them that. The one beating him keeps himself out of the shot. Detective Curatola pointed out that the video shakes, which indicated another person was filming. The possibility that they're ex-military can't be ignored, but nowadays you can look up just about anything online." Henry reached across the table and helped himself to his son's beer.

"Linda know about the video?"

"No. And we're going to keep it that way."

* * *

><p>Sydney stood outside of the apartment building and held her breath. It had been a gutsy move, coming back here after Jamie had turned her away. But she knew him. Even though she'd broken off their engagement and turned on back on him, she still <em>knew<em> him. He wasn't as fine as he wanted her to believe. She'd left right after she'd hung up the phone on him. And now she was back. Sydney released a breath and took another one in. She'd missed this...the sights, the sounds, the smells, the people...She ducked her head and sighed. Why had she ever made that mistake? She clutched her suitcase and started in, hoping that he would be there.

* * *

><p>Jamie sat at the vacated kitchen table with his father and grandfather. Erin was with Linda and the kids. Frank and Henry were discussing revenge theories. He wanted to contribute, but he couldn't. His mind was still stuck on his shortened patrols. He just couldn't understand <em>why. <em>What did his job have to do with Danny going missing? The two didn't connect in any way other than the fact that they were brothers.

"Jamie," Frank repeated. From his tone, Jamie gleaned that he'd said it more than once. He shook himself mentally and turned to his father.

"Yes?"

"I said, it's getting late. You have an early patrol tomorrow, don't you?" He opened his mouth to respond, closed it, and then opened it again.

"Yeah. Goodnight." He shoved back from the table and wandered into the other room to say goodnight to Linda, Erin, and the kids.

* * *

><p>"This is stupid," Sydney said to herself, pacing outside of the apartment she and Jamie had shared, "I should just go back home. I shouldn't have come." Getting in had been easy. But their-his door was lock. Purely on instinct, Sydney had put her hand in her pocket. But then she realized that she didn't have a key anymore. She'd returned it.<p>

"I'm gonna go," she told herself, picking up her suitcase and turning on her heel. Tears burned in her eyes. She was dumb to think that Jamie would just appear and take her back in like nothing had happened. It was an impulse; something that was so unlike her. And so, so wrong.

"Syd?" She froze.

* * *

><p>Jamie leaned into the wall and braced himself. It had been a shock just receiving a call from her. But actually seeing her here after all this time? Now, with his brother's sudden disappearance? Why was everything in his life getting out of control? But maybe it wasn't her. She wouldn't have just come all the way out here on a whim. Maybe-But she turned, and he saw that it <em>was<em> her. He didn't know what to say. He reached out for her, and suddenly she was in his arms, and they were kissing..and he broke down.

* * *

><p>It was late, and everyone wanted to go home. But Jackie wouldn't let them. She had to go home feeling like they'd accomplished something more than just finding Danny's cell phone. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.<p>

"Where are we with videos?" She called out. Winston made his way over to her and handed her a packet.

"Red light cameras are gonna take a little longer. ATM video and some stills the tech guys pulled. I've seen it; its kinda blurry because of the distance, but we do have a visual of a few different cars going past." Jackie was eager to watch the video for herself, but she was unsure of how they'd know which car was which.

"What about the video store?" Shaun shrugged.

"They want a warrant." Curatola dropped the envelope on her desk.

"What the hell do they need a warrant for? They look like they got something to hide?" Winston sat on the corner of her desk.

"It's a pretty shady looking place, if you know what I mean." Jackie sighed into her hands and sat down in her seat.

"It's late, we'll lean on them tomorrow. If they don't hand it over..."

"You'll get a warrant?" He asked knowingly. Jackie had been about to say that she'd have Danny convince them with his..special way of doing things. But she was on her own this time.

"Yeah, I'll get a warrant."


End file.
